In earlier years, small single-page folded leaflets were often given away by retailers as a snapshot of catalogue highlights or new items.

But in some cases, they hilighted the range so well they were almost a mini-catalogue

Here's one for the season, from 1963

"Märklin reminds you... only 7 weeks until Christmas",

Well it's actually less than 4 weeks now. Sorry, I only have it in German, but the pictures are in English !!

But, I have taken a few minutes to scan the text into an online OCR, copy and paste the output into Google translate and here we go (below the images) - about 15 minutes to give a 'reasonable' translation that most will follow I'm sure. I do this often and it's very effective. If anyone wishes to perfect it, be my guest.

Four text blocks via Google Translate

MÄRKLIN, the reasonably priced, rock-solid model railway for games and hobbies The first great pleasure does not cost more than DM 36.-. There is already a wonderful little train train, complete with everything that belongs to the right driving. Whether you buy such a machine or one for 100 or 1000 marks, one thing always stays the same: the genuine, right-hand MÄRKLIN quality. The MÄRKLIN system is known to be easy to set up. The boy (maybe the dad or even the mother?) Can not go wrong. All cables are firmly attached and provided with colored plugs. Red belongs to red, green to green, yellow to yellow; very easily.Prices in DM (West)

MÄRKLIN brings joy to your home

A MÄRKLIN model railway is always fun. Not just the bright boy, but also the father. Even the mother, because "her men" so much joy. And - let's not forget the daughters: Today we have many more little MÄRKLIN friends with a great sense of technical order than we ever dared to hope for. - The game with the MÄRKLIN railroad you can start small. For little money. You can extend the track, let it grow with the boy and the years. And - you always know (also aunt and uncle), what you can give. You do not necessarily have to have a son to spend your free time with a MÄRKLIN model train. Tens of thousands of men who have to work hard in everyday life find comfort in the creative work with the model railway. MÄRKLIN railways are also a gift for men, for men with a happy heart. MÄRKLIN model railway systems retain their very good quality. their high value for years to come. That too is important!The whole MÄRKLIN railway system is convincingly simple. It works with one type of current: alternating current. Of course, he is completely "defused", so that even a baby could never happen.So good, so durable and reliable is everything we build, the prices are low. The small tender locomotive 3000 for DM 18.- alone was bought more than a million times.And we build so that you need little space. We build for all, even for the small home, in which there is no abundance. - MÄRKLIN brings joy to the house.

It's best to talk to your MÄRKLIN dealer. In the next few days, that's better than just before Christmas. Now the shops are not so full, and you can inform yourself in peace and quiet or just leave the desired. In any case, you should ask for the large MÄRKLIN catalog.

MÄRKLIN-Metall

If toys are to fulfill their task, they must not only delight the children, but they must also be lenient and influence - for the good of course. The MÄRKLIN metal construction kit promotes logical thinking, the ingenuity as well as the sense of care and accuracy in the educational game of work. That is why we only use very good material for each part, which we carefully process. For example, we do not simply punch gears, but mill them as if they were for expensive machines. Even with the MÄRKLIN metal construction kit you can start small and expand it further and further with 6 expansion boxes, but also through individually purchasable parts. Ask your MÄRKLIN dealer and ask him soon. He also has the detailed MÄRKLIN catalog for you.

Klaus & Peter

That's Klaus and Peter. They are currently building their MÄRKLIN facility. The plate is only as long as a dining room table, only slightly wider. How smart: the blinds are provisionally fixed with adhesive tape. This is how it works easier. The overhead line is already. Now the lines are laid clean - that's so much fun when one part after the other gets going: the switches, the decouplers, the whole signals, the light. And then the driving can start. Well, that will be a pleasure.

It may be intersting that this is the publication with the highest circulation known in the Märklin history. The print-code is 169 07 - TOYTN 10 63 th. That means 12,310,000 examples were printed. That was the number to reach nearly every household in Germany. It was distributed as an addition to newspapers and magazines. I think that this campaign was only run in Western Germany. I have never seen a copy in any other language.

Cookee - Thanks for sharing these flyers. You know one of the things that I notice in the flyers (and in the M catalogs) is that it wasn't until the late 1970's that Marklin started using real photographs of the locomotives and wagons. Up until that time most, if not all, of the images of their product line were artist's renditions. It would have been easy to include actual photographs of the items back then, but M decided that drawn and painted renditions were preferred. Maybe there was more "mystique" with a drawing than a real photo and that made the items more desirable (= more sales?). In any case Marklin made the conscious decision to so for almost 50 years.

I agree... just like the older, pre-war Lionel catalogs, there was a certain appeal in the artists renderings that allowed one an opportunity to dream. Maybe that's where the term "wish book" originated?

1959 leaflet (once again, dealer-stamped for the popular "Smith's Cycles")

PS - I don't have the 1960 issue but do have the rest of the decade so if someone has the 1960 edition and would like to post it in the style I have started it would be great, or PM it to me and I can do it.

yes I know you've all been hanging out for the next installment (looking at the 'likes', there's at least five of you right?, hopefully someone is enjoying them)

They seem to be repeating a theme here..., "It must be Märklin"

1961/62 folded leaflet - enjoy - and stay tuned.....(the original has a very faded dealer stamp for "Martin's, The Mecca for Modellers" - Customs St Auckland. I remember them still there in the early 80's.)

It was sent from my uncle who worked in Sweden to my father. There is alsoa letter where my uncle describes price levels and discounts what he has negotiated withthe shop. There is the shops stamp visible. "Korg-& Leksaksaffären Norrköping".This letter is dated just after I was born so one can say that "Toys are made for children but fathers play with them"

Here is the 1966/67 folded leaflet.... and for our USA friends, this one is printed (rather than stamped) for "Reeves International, New York". Does anyone recall this outlet?

Hi Cookee,

REEVES was an import company which imported a number of European brands, Japan and Hong Kong toys to the US. Known brands were STEIFF, CORGI and MÄRKLIN. Their customers were toy-shops in the US. I don't think that they had something like an outlet accessible to the end-customer.

Google with "reeves 1107 broadway" finds a number of ads and products.

Here is the 1966/67 folded leaflet.... and for our USA friends, this one is printed (rather than stamped) for "Reeves International, New York". Does anyone recall this outlet?

Hi Cookee,

REEVES was an import company which imported a number of European brands, Japan and Hong Kong toys to the US. Known brands were STEIFF, CORGI and MÄRKLIN. Their customers were toy-shops in the US. I don't think that they had something like an outlet accessible to the end-customer.

Google with "reeves 1107 broadway" finds a number of ads and products.

Regards

Markus

Thanks Markus, yes I had already googled them and came to the conclusion they may have been more of a distributor than a direct retailer, perhaps it was left to the individual retailers to 'stamp' their own leaflets and of course many would slip through, left-over items etc.

There is a small but interesting detail in the international edition. In the German edition the transformer is shown with a VDE - seal. In the international edition this is retouched. The VDE is the German electrical safety authority.

I just wonder why they chose such a poor (in my opinion) background colour across the brochure?, any of the items in Red are completely overwhelmed by the lack of contrast. Especially the lovely "Le Capitole" set, the TEE etc. Such a shame.

I just wonder why they chose such a poor (in my opinion) background colour across the brochure?, any of the items in Red are completely overwhelmed by the lack of contrast. Especially the lovely "Le Capitole" set, the TEE etc. Such a shame.

Here is the 1966/67 folded leaflet.... and for our USA friends, this one is printed (rather than stamped) for "Reeves International, New York". Does anyone recall this outlet?

Sorry for the out of year sequence but, I just found this leaflet in my files. This is the Danish version of the same 1966/67 folded leaflet that Cookee posted. I've scanned it in the same manner as the US version to facilitate comparing the two. It looks about the same, but some of the orange background color in the US version has been swapped for red here in the Danish version.

Here is the 1966/67 folded leaflet.... and for our USA friends, this one is printed (rather than stamped) for "Reeves International, New York". Does anyone recall this outlet?

Sorry for the out of year sequence but, I just found this leaflet in my files. This is the Danish version of the same 1966/67 folded leaflet that Cookee posted. I've scanned it in the same manner as the US version to facilitate comparing the two. It looks about the same, but some of the orange background color in the US version has been swapped for red here in the Danish version.

Kurt

Hi Kurt, I suspect they are actually the same colour, what we are seeing is scanning differences. For example, compare the 3021 with the surrounding red - the 'tint' (or shade for want of a better word) is actually the same. If they had changed the background red/orange, the 3021 would still remain 'red' but it doesn't.

This is one of the big issues with any form of reproduction, by camera, scanner etc that it can be very hard to match exactly the original document and frankly, I've given up. For me, so long as it accurately conveys the theme of the original, and is a reasonably good copy, I don't care. Otherwise I'd be forever tweaking to attain a utopian perfection only to be let down by the Monitor I'm using being off-colour!!

The last one I posted was printed 68/69, but the one you posted is just "1969", and my next one is 1971.

Are you saying the 1969 edition carried over into 1970 or am I actually missing two in the series?

In the meantime, I shall carry on with the 70's and here we have the 1971 issue. New format for this one, changed from former 3-part 'landscape' style and becomes a 'portrait' A4 2-part leaflet, but still nice and colourful and full use of photographs...

"For the most fun with electric trains use MÄRKLIN Its easy to run and built to last"

Some new items shown include the 3089 Streamline 03, 3096 Tank Cl. 86, the popular 3054 Cl. 103 (just for Steven I think), 4007 & 4008 local coaches and the not-often-seen 7222 Warning Bell (does anyone actually use one of these?)

For all which like to hunt for phantoms: Look at the blue 4069 behind the V200. No, that car does not exist. It is just a wrong colour printed. Kids like the 7222. When my children were 4 or 6 years old, this was an important element of the game. Turn the bell first and then start the train. Ringing the bell is a good job for very small children to participate in the game. Something to do for the "small brother".

Yes there is also a 1970 leaflet: "Märklin - the system of the many advantages". I will post it later today, but I think I only have the German edition.

For all which like to hunt for phantoms: Look at the blue 4069 behind the V200. No, that car does not exist. It is just a wrong colour printed. Kids like the 7222. When my children were 4 or 6 years old, this was an important element of the game. Turn the bell first and then start the train. Ringing the bell is a good job for very small children to participate in the game. Something to do for the "small brother".

Yes there is also a 1970 leaflet: "Märklin - the system of the many advantages". I will post it later today, but I think I only have the German edition.

Regards

Markus

When I posted it, I noted that coach and thought to myself, "I don't recall that, and definitely not in a set, I'll look it up later", then the missus called me up for dinner and you bet me to it. Interesting detail, thanks

Sorry, lost track of this one for a few days, but back into it with 1972

"Bit by bit" MÄRKLIN "A fully satisfying and lasting hobby" (well we certainly can all agree with that!!

To be honest, I found this leaflet to be a bit underwhelming compared to the previous years, it seems focused around start sets only, but it's possible there is a further different leaflet in the previous style with a wider range - Markus?

Looks like this leaflet shows the same layout that the full product line catalog of the same year highlights. It's very familiar to me since my layout was based on this design. I'd recognize those parallel sets of bridges anywhere.

You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.